Harmony Through Chaos
by Zelchias
Summary: OneShot, Archie   While meditating, Knuckles muses over his friendship with the Chaotix and how, despite the chaos they bring him, he has grown thanks to them, and how they ultimately bring him harmony.


**Disclaimer: **Alas, not to do with A Difficult Road Traveled, this here is a oneshot made for a contest, and I figured I'd put it up here for entertainment anyway. Anyway, as you can guess, I own nothing here, at all; this is all SEGA, with this particular take on the characters involved belonging to Archie. I own nothing; in the unlikely event any of the higher ups from those companies read this… understand I do this just for entertainment, I lay claim to nothing and make no profit. Do not sue me, for I am pitiful. 

**Harmony Through Chaos**

Chaos is quite miraculous in its own way.

By its definition it is nothing special, merely the very essence of how things can go wrong. It is disorder and disarray, directionless and meaningless and resulting in little of consequence before the next mutation in its cycle of anarchy.

To one Knuckles the Echidna though, Chaos had a deeper and more personal meaning, an irony given that most would regard his personality as lawful; stringent, unyielding and organized to a fault. However, if you WERE to ask the notoriously stubborn echidna on the matter, he would point out that the ability of chaos to co-exist within itself was quite the miracle. So much of the world seemed pointless and chaotic when taken on its own, yet brought together it could make a greater whole and bring about a kind of wonderful majesty that would belie the otherwise ever changing nature of chaos.

Take for example the land he guarded with all his heart and soul; Angel Island. Angel Island by its very nature embodied this part of chaos; by the grace of the Master Emerald it floated high above Mobius, a chunk of land hovering in the skies in defiance of the known laws of physics. And by the same grace of the Master Emerald (with the help of a bit of ancient echidna technology), several kinds of environments could thrive and exist upon the island despite the uncertain position of the sun thanks to the drifting nature of the island, and even the seasons would come and go in accordance with the time of year. Angel Island was a perfect illustration of how Chaos could be harmonious in its own way.

Not that Knuckles would ever characterize himself as a philosopher of any kind, but when given the time to think thoughts such as these tended to flow in and out of his mind.

Even now, in a meditative stance before the Master Emerald, deep within the crystalline halls of the Hidden Palace, his mind wandered around the subject that had shaped his life and the lives of his predecessors since the beginning… chaos.

"The Servers are the Seven Chaos. Chaos is power, enriched by the Heart. The Controller serves to unify the Chaos…" he murmured out the ancient chant, having down so over and over in the course of his meditative training and so often over the course of his life that he was certain he even did it in his sleep by this point. All of his thoughts should, in theory, have focused themselves upon attuning himself all the better to the Master Emerald, to understand and master its secrets so that he could better fulfill his task in life.

In light of recent events, and given that the deliverer of that lesson was no longer an active part of his life and, Knuckles felt he was distracting himself more and more from this part of his duty. Part of him felt an intense guilt for doing so.

Another part wondered why he should.

Chaos was the reason he had been born, the reason his home soared in the skies, the reason for the birth of his fathers before him, and for the several upheavals his life had gone under in the recent year; the Hedgehog, the Tyrant, the Death Egg, and the Chaotix. He'd tasted the bitter humiliation of knowing he had been deceived and used so thoroughly by a madman, horror and fury at the destruction that had been unleashed upon his home and those under his guard, and a strange and overwhelming sense of completeness and belonging amongst those who he now counted as his close allies… and even closer friends.

It was no coincidence they called themselves 'The Chaotix'; they were a motley group of radically different backgrounds and philosophies, and the way they conducted themselves was more impromptu and by ear then most teams. Yet in their own ways, despite the differences and despite the seeming lack of cohesiveness amongst them, they managed to make things work out. Chaos seemed to follow them wherever they went, but still they would prevail in spite of each other.

His father had never trained Knuckles for the prospect of friendship. He trained him for many things; how to fight, how to use his head, the importance of his duty, and how to survive on his own. Had it not been for the impromptu entrance of Princess Sally into his childhood, he doubted he'd have much of an understanding of friendship. As a Guardian, it was his job to watch over Angel Island and all who dwelled upon it… and according to his father Locke that also meant maintaining a degree of aloofness from the other islanders, all of it a part of preparing Knuckles for the prospect of life alone.

The Chaotix, however accidental their inclusion into his life was, put an end to that. And he thanked them for that. And he thanked them for the chaos they brought into his life, for the growth they each brought him into his life. Each in their own ways, they taught him a thing or two that his father had never bothered to cover during the days when he was still around.

Vector at a first glance did not strike Knuckles as the sort of person he could ever be a true friend with. He was much like Sonic in a lot of ways; brash, egotistical, and hotheaded. These were not qualities Knuckles found particularly endearing… Vector's blunt honesty, loyalty and willingness to stick his neck out for others on the other hand were. And beyond that, the lackadaisical reptile was far more intelligent than most would assume. This was certainly the case in the guardian's experience…

"_Hold up, hold up… whaddya mean 'You don't like music'?" The crocodile stared at Knuckles disbelievingly from his hammock, looking like someone had just told him that the sky was green and that fish flew through the air._

_Knuckles rolled his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. He'd come searching for the crocodile to get his help in maneuvering around the swamplands he called home (to plan out traps and escape routes should the situation call for it), and somewhere along the line music had come up. "I don't dislike music, I just don't see the point of it," Knuckles corrected. "What of it?"_

"_What of it-? Dude! You don't know what you're missin'!" Vector hopped off of his hammock and removed his earphones, heading towards the guardian with a purposeful glint in his eyes. "Put 'em on," he ordered. Knuckles blinked in confusion._

"_Excuse me-?"_

"_Put 'em on!" the large reptile barked, shoving the beloved headphones into Knuckles' hand, his tone brooking no room for argument. Gazing at his friend warily, Knuckles obeyed, placing the headphones on and keeping Vector's music player in hand. Even now the tune the reptile had been listening to was still playing, and Knuckles took the time to listen…. and felt nothing. He sighed in exasperation and glanced over to Vector._

"_Vec, what does this prove exactly?" he asked with as much patience as he could muster. The crocodile gazed down at him unyieldingly, arms crossed over his chest._

"_Browse the selection a little, and don't stop till somethin' gets ya movin'," Vector stated in that same authoritative tone of voice, something that astounded Knuckles on some level. He'd never seen Vector act so serious outside of a combat situation._

"_Fine, but if this turns out to be a waste of my time…" Knuckles groused before tapping the selection button, patiently going over the number of digitally encoded pieces of music within Vector's player. Boredom gave the simple task the feeling of an eternity, and Knuckles already threadbare patience was in danger of snapping into little pieces. He was on the verge of roughly removing the headphones and player and force-feeding the both of them to Vector, when suddenly he a sharp little tune came up… and as Vector had predicted, he was given pause._

_It… wasn't bad, really. In fact, it made him want to move a little, and almost against his will he felt his begin to tap in tune with the music. Before he could go any further he caught a glimpse of Vector, his face molded into a smug, victorious grin. Catching himself before his ignominious defeat could continue on, Knuckles forced himself back into his usual strictness and hastily removed the musical gear, handing it back to Vector._

"_Alright smartass, you win," he muttered, Vector chuckling as he placed the prized possessions back to their usual spots. "I still don't understand why you felt I had to go through that… why does it matter if I enjoy music or not?"_

"_Cause most of the time? Sayin' stuff like that is a patent lie," Vector shrugged. "Music ain't just a bunch of pretty sounds strung together, there's a lot more goin' on then just listenin' to it. Ta me, music is somethin' like a gateway to the soul, a way to express somethin' deeper then we can just using plain words. That's why I don't buy the idea of anyone 'not getting' music at all… to say somethin' like that is like sayin' you don't get the point of living or something, and there ain't nobody who don't have some kinda idea about that. Hence, why I appreciate music so much and why it's so easy for me ta get lost in in."_

_Knuckles stared in slack jawed amazement at his friend. "Did…did you just say something deep and insightful?" he gasped in mock shock. "Who are you and what have you done to the real Vector?" he demanded._

"_Hardy har har," was Vector's sardonic rebuttal. "Real Vector or not, bottom line is I win, you lose, and I'm gonna make sure the others know it for a looong time," he smirked._

_Knuckles smirked right back. "Who're they gonna believe, you or me?" he shot back before resuming his usual, serious demeanor. "I'll be honest though… I never really thought of music of all things in that kind of light."_

"_Heh, wish I could take all the credit for that bit of zen back there, but I cribbed most of that from my grandpa… not that I don't feel just like he did when it comes to magic, he just had a better way of sayin' it then me," Vector chuckled. "He used to make musical instruments, even played in a band… great guy," he sighed out fondly._

"_Sure sounds like it," Knuckles nodded._

"_So, what'd ya want me for anyway?" Vector asked, recalling that it had been Knuckles seeking him out to begin with._

"_Oh, right! I need you to direct me around the swamp so that I'll know where to set traps and escape routes and so on."_

"_You came to the right croc," Vector smirked cockily. Knuckles just shook his head and waved him over as he began to leave for the swamplands._

"_Don't make me regret going to you… you're not the only crocodile on the island, ya know."_

"_Yeah, but the rest of 'em ain't got what makes me the coolest reptile this side of the island," Vector smirked._

"_Indeed, I've noticed that crocodiles tend to value humility, and yet somewhere they went astray with you."_

"_Hardy friggen har har."_

Since that episode, Knuckles had found that contrary to what he had believed about himself, he did have certain tastes for certain kinds of music. He would scarcely say that he cared for music in the same way that Vector did, but all the same he could understand it better now, on more than one level at that. And so from Vector he learnt how music was more than a simple distracting or a pretty tune to the ears.

Charmy was another one who, much like Vector, would not strike most as the sort to be friends with someone like Knuckles. He was the diametric opposite of the Guardian; flighty, fun loving and free of worries or responsibilities… and always willing to try and lighten the mood of those around him, and often went out of his way to try and cheer his companions up. And at the very least, he knew how to enjoy life to its fullest, and was hardly afraid to educate others in this particular art…

_It had been a regular day of patrolling the island, Knuckles at the moment making his way through the thick jungles of Angel Island, eyes alert and ready to take on anything that was out of place. What he hadn't anticipated however was that something would go flying just over his head at high speeds… and that it sounded much like Charmy._

"_Yahooo!"_

_The instant after there was a sudden crash, and the sound of overjoyed giggling. Turning quickly, he saw none other than Charmy, in a tumbled heap against some bushes with a giant leaf beside him. It didn't take much to put two and two together; this was a sloped area, and the young bee had decided to use one of the enormous leaves of the jainja tree as a surf board. The echidna rushed over to the downed bee, helping him up._

"_Cripes Charmy, are you all right?"_

"_That was AWESOME," Charmy grinned even as he wobbled on his feet some. "You gotta give it a try, Knux!"_

"_Why did you even DO that?" Knuckles demanded in mild exasperation. By now he was used to the young bee's antics, but even still his actions continued to confound him. "You can fly! Seriously, I've seen you go faster in the air than on this," he lifted the leaf gingerly while Charmy simply dusted himself and chuckled._

"_You my friend underestimate the entertainment value of gravity," the honeybee grinned, then snapped his fingers. "In fact, you should give it a shot!"_

"_I'm on patrol, Charmy," Knuckles stated flatly. Charmy remained undeterred._

"_So?"_

"_So I've been doing this patrol since I was as YOUR size, and I'm not about to break in my routine just yet," Knuckles groused. The bee cocked his head quizzically._

"_What, not even just this once? The fate of the island will be determined entirely by your patrol through this section of the jungle that you've done Apis know how many times?" he raised a brow. "Come on, Knux… doing it this one little time isn't going to bring about the end of the world."_

"_You don't know that," Knuckles shot back and then sighed. "Look, I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I can't just take a moment off when the mood suits me."_

"_I'm not asking you to take the day off, just ten or so minutes to try something fun," Charmy smiled, buzzing upward so that he was at a more even level with his friend. "C'mon, can you really tell me you honestly think doing it just once is gonna result in the island going up in flames?"_

_Knuckles groaned. Charmy was very aptly named, and right now he was damning him for that fact. "For all I know, yes," he grouse and then sighed in defeat. "Alright, ONCE, I'll try it ONCE. And then you won't pester me to try anything like it again for the rest of the month, deal?"_

"_Deal," the bee grinned, and then took off like a shot up the hill. "Race ya!"_

"_Oh you little-!"_

_And so, things followed predictably enough; Knuckles gave chase and promptly lost (cueing a little 'victory dance' from the jubilant bee), afterwards detaching a jaina leaf as instructed by Charmy and riding it down the hill, ending up much like his friend had earlier… and having a great deal of fun in the process._

"_Told ya so," Charmy smirked as Knuckles collected himself._

"_So you did," Knuckles mused as he dislodged the last bits and pieces of vegetation out of his fur. "As fun as that was though, I really do need to get back to my patrol, though I thank you for the experience all the same."_

"_My pleasure," Charmy beamed. "Someone's gotta make sure you relax a little, ya know."_

"_And why is that exactly? I've been doing this since I was a kid," Knuckles frowned._

"_That's my point… everyone's got their limits, and sooner or later something's gotta give," it was now Charmy's turn to frown, though his betrayed more concern. "Don't get me wrong, I could never do what you do. You're watching everyone's back on this island, 24/7, and that amazes me… just thinking about it gives me shivers," he murmured, his eyes taking a haunted look for but a moment before resuming their concentration on Knuckles. "Nobody can do the same thing forever and be happy, and I know you're so into this job that you neglect to do anything that doesn't directly tie into your duties. So, just think of this as a reminder that it IS possible to have a little fun now and then," he grinned._

_Knuckles regarded his friend for a moment, brow raised as he allowed what the younger mobian said to sink in. "I…guess you have a point," he conceded grudgingly. "For future reference though, I'd rather be allowed to divert from my schedule on my own terms."_

"_Just be sure to keep to it, and I won't have to pester you until your fragile psyche cracks and forces the issue," Charmy grinned, giving a two fingered salute. "Alright, I've distracted you enough; see ya later!" And with that, the bee zipped away looking for more diversions, while Knuckles was allowed to pursue his patrol route once more, shaking his head and chuckling at the fresh memory of Charmy's antics._

Knuckles couldn't stop a small smile from gracing his face at the memory, and others like it. Since that time he had, as he said he would, found time for himself and allowed himself to enjoy some fun now and then and had discovered to his immense shock that deviating from his schedule hadn't resulted in the end of the Island as he had predicted that it might. It was a somewhat liberating experience, to realize that perhaps, just maybe, he could have a few things to himself. Not that he would ever abandon his duty wholesale… but it did feel good to just spend a moment not worrying about everything.

Granted, some days he felt that Mighty would do enough of that for the both of them…

From the moment he'd met the quiet armadillo, Knuckles found it remarkable at how easy it was to get along with him. If there was anything anchoring the eclectic little crew together, it was Mighty; where Knuckles or Vector might allow their tempers to get the best of them, Mighty would remain calm. Where Charmy would let himself become distracted, Mighty would gently bring him back on track. And when Espio's aloofness might give him cause to enact his own plans, Mighty would often be the one to ask how he and the others might be able to help.

Needless to say, it came as quite a shock to the Echidna that his mellow friend had at one point been a companion to someone that Knuckles would characterize as his nemesis…

"_So how exactly did you end up knowing someone like Sonic?" Knuckles asked, half inquisitive and half accusatory. It had been a few days after the incident with Mogul, when the ancient would-be world conqueror used his powers of the mind to hound and harangue both Freedom Fighters AND Chaotix until they could be deceived into fighting one another. During that time, Sonic and Mighty both referenced the fact that they had been friends a while back and were familiar enough with each other to know that something had been up._

_That fact had caught Knuckles completely off guard, and he wanted some answers. Mighty for his part didn't seem at all perturbed, idly examining a daisy before turning to face Knuckles. "Why are you so interested?" he asked calmly. "Does something about me having been friends with Sonic bother you?"_

"_It confuses the hell out of me," Knuckles stated bluntly. "He's an arrogant, self-absorbed showoff-"_

"_All true to varying degrees," Mighty chuckled, and Knuckles groaned in exasperation._

"_So you agree with me… well then, how the heck could you have ended up friends with someone like him?" he demanded._

"_The same way I am friends with Vector, Espio, Charmy, and you," Mighty shrugged. "I can see the sides of you all that go beyond your flaws."_

"_Excuse me? Flaws?" Knuckles narrowed his eyes. Just what was the armadillo implying?_

"_Vector is a hothead who thinks the world of himself, Charmy has his head in the clouds way more than any flying creature has a right to, Espio can be downright icy at times, and you? You're as stubborn and ill-tempered as an old mule," Mighty listed off._

"_Nice to know you think so highly of the rest of us, Mighty," Knuckles drawled sardonically._

"_I do, actually," Mighty stated seriously. "Vector is as loyal a friend as you could ask, Charmy genuinely wants us to be happy and goes out of his way to make it happen, Espio would go to hell and back for any of us, and you trust us to guard this island with you in spite of how screwed up we can be," Mighty raised a brow. "I can see good in all of you… is it really so difficult to believe that I can do the same with Sonic?"_

_That was something to give Knuckles pause. He disliked Sonic, immensely, and he wasn't afraid to share that fact. But was it possible that there was something he wasn't seeing? Mighty was correct about the rest of the Chaotix and even himself (a fact admitted grudgingly)… was he correct about Sonic then? "Alright then," Knuckles crossed his arm over his chest. "Sonic to me is a show off who doesn't really give a crap about the fact that lives are on the line. To me, he cares more about the thrill of being a 'hero' instead of anything else that might entail. What then am I supposed to think about him?"_

_To his surprise, Mighty started laughing and laughing hard, even doubling over slightly before he finished. "Heh, I-I'm sorry, it's just… MAN you are way off base here," Mighty smirked as he looked over to Knuckles. "I'll admit he can be a cocky son of a gun and can get into the excitement of fighting off robots a bit more than he should, and the less said about his prima donna tendencies the better… but he doesn't think so little of others that he'd put being everyone's hero over their lives and safety. He'll go to some extreme lengths for his friends, and even for people he doesn't even know. Yeah, he can be annoying, and he can even be a jerk, and while a lot of that cockiness is genuine… there's more going on there."_

"_Really now?" Knuckles asked, his tone partway between sarcastic and intrigued. Mighty nodded._

"_Yep… during the time I spent with him, one thing I noticed was that whenever he went up against Robotnik's metal goons, he'd always act in the most annoying way he could manage towards the Swatbots. At first I couldn't figure it out, since what's the point of making fun of machines? Then it became clear… he did it because it really, really ticked off Robotnik to have his stuff treated so casually," Mighty let out a small chuckle. "Big bad Robotnik, and Sonic was reducing him to a joke."_

_Knuckles processed this information with wide eyes. "So Sonic being so damn care free in dangerous situations is…?"_

"_Not quite what you think it is," Mighty finished for him. "Like I said, Sonic is indeed a cocky, overconfident attention grabber. But there's more to it than that."_

"_So, what, I'm supposed to forget that he annoys me and I should be his bosom buddy?" Knuckles asked in confusion. It was rather telling that he still found Sonic unbearable most times even after he had helped the Guardian rescue the Island from Robotnik._

"_Nope," Mighty shook his head. "You're free to like or dislike whoever. Just don't go making assumptions."_

"_Fair enough," Knuckles grunted, and then looked at the flower in Mighty's hand, shaking h head. "I still can't believe how much you enjoy those things."_

"_I'm an armadillo. We don't tend to see as well as others, and we learn to enjoy smells early on," Mighty smiled, taking a whiff of the daisy for emphasis. "Care to join?" he asked playfully._

_Knuckles smirked. "Nah, I'm good… thanks for offering, all the same."_

It later occurred to Knuckles that he hadn't been told of just HOW Mighty and Sonic had come to be friends, but he decided against pursuing the subject. If Mighty wanted to talk about his past, then he'd do so at when he felt like it. And since that conversation, Knuckles opinion had changed little concerning the hero of Mobius; he still found him to be the most patently annoying creature he had ever encountered. However… he no longer thought quite so little about him as he had, and even felt a small amount of empathy for his spikey blue nemesis.

His thoughts now trailed over to the last member of his motley little Chaotix Crew… Espio. In many ways, Espio was a rather typical example of a chameleon; quiet, withdrawn, aloof and mysterious at most times, it could be difficult to decipher what was going on in his head at the best of times. However, time and again he had shown loyalty to his companions and in his own way, just how deeply he took his friendship with them.

And just because Espio himself was difficult to get a read on, didn't mean that he had a similar problem when it came to others.

"_Something troubles you," Espio stated. There was no question here, just a harsh statement of fact._

_Knuckles jerked at the sudden sound of his friend's voice, almost taking up a combat stance before recognizing the chameleon. "Geeze, Espio, don't DO that!" he huffed as he resumed sitting down on the rock and glaring warily at his friend. "And how did you find me anyway?"_

"_Ancient chameleon secret of being everywhere at once," Espio remarked dryly. Much like Knuckles, he had his own rounds and schedules to keep, including the art of maintaining stealth. By stark coincidence, he had found his friend, alone and with a pondering expression on his face as he sat on a large rock, lost in his own little world. Curiosity and concern prompted him into revealing himself, hence the current conversation. "I repeat, what is troubling you?"_

"_Nothing," Knuckles grunted. Espio was unmoved._

"_I've seen your 'nothing' face, and this isn't it," he responded promptly. "What is wrong?"_

_Realizing that it was useless to try and argue with the chameleon by this point, Knuckles sighed and relented. "I'm… just having some doubts at the moment, that's all." This managed to catch Espio off guard, and he did not bother trying to hide his surprise at this revelation._

"_Doubts? You? About what?"_

"_What I'm doing with my life," Knuckles murmured, sounding a little ashamed. "My job as Guardian was given to me by my father, and to him by his father and so on so forth… it's a lot of responsibility, both over the Master Emerald and the Island itself. And lately, I'm wondering if there's really a point anymore."_

"_If this is about what happened with Robotnik-"_

"_It's not, at least not entirely," Knuckles sighed. "For most of my life my task has been to protect the Master Emerald and the people on Angel Island, and these are good things to do. However…what comes next?"_

"_I beg your pardon?" Espio raised a brow._

"_Eventually I'll grow old and die like everyone else, and then… then what happens? Is that what I want my life to be summed up as? 'Guarded a magic rock on a floating island'?" Knuckles frowned. "What a wonderful legacy to leave behind."_

"_This is not the first time you've thought about this, is it?" Espio mused._

"_No, but lately its gotten worse… there's an entire world out there, and the most I get to see of it is from up in the skies," Knuckles stared forward intently, lost in his thoughts. "It makes me wonder if perhaps…I should just leave it all behind and live a little."_

_Espio was stunned. He knew precisely how seriously Knuckles took his duty, and for him to be speaking like this… it was shocking. "You… don't tell me you're jealous of Sonic of all people?"_

"_Of him? Hell no," Knuckles snorted. "He's the most annoying person I've ever met, period, and the thought of being like him is sickening," he shook his head. "What he has on the other hand… yeah, that's making me go a little green with envy," he confessed. "I've got you guys and I wouldn't trade any of you for anything, but the fact is my entire life is this island… and I don't even have others of my kind to go back to."_

"_Knuckles-"_

"_Do you know what it feels like?" Knuckles turned his head sharply to face the chameleon. "To know that at the end of the day when you go, an entire species goes with you? That there's no one else out there who shares your face and there are no others like you to fall back on?"_

_Espio stayed silent._

"_Exactly," Knuckles murmured glumly. "I'd be more justified in just abandoning my post then Athair was…"_

"_Athair? Who is Athair?"_

"_Athair was my great grandfather, and the only Guardian to abandon his post," Knuckles face twisted into an angry glare. "And before you go making comparisons, understand this; when HE was alive there were other Echidna around, and he still left. How could he-?" Knuckles stopped abruptly and shook his head. "There were others to go back to…and before you guys came along, all I had going for me was a rock."_

"_If you feel this way, then why haven't you simply left then?" Espio inquired, no longer able to mask his curiosity. Knuckles gave a small, somewhat bitter chuckle._

"_Because this is my duty, and no matter how I feel, I'm not going to leave it behind. I can get over the other stuff, it's just I get to wondering if there's a point to it anymore. It's not like anyone outside the island gives much of a crap, and it's like they'll ever know."_

"_Your position is not ideal, I'll admit," Espio said firmly. "However, I would also say it's not as pointless as you may have led yourself to believe."_

"_That so?" Knuckles asked sardonically._

"_Yes, it is," Espio nodded. "So few if anybody will ever know of you and what you've sacrificed in the name of this ancestral task of yours… so what?" He shrugged. "The people of this island are grateful for what you do for them, and they at least appreciate you and how much of yourself that you give. So there will never be a 'Hooray for Knuckles' day parade… you don't need one, not really. You know how important your job is, as does myself, Vector, Mighty and Charmy. Praise and adulation are the sorts of things for someone like Sonic; that kind of hero worship just doesn't suit you." By now they were staring at each other eye to eye. "And while no one is ever going to say being the last of your kind is a good thing, at the very least your people are lucky to have someone like you illustrate their final legacy."_

"_You really think so?" Knuckles asked, rather astonished by the chameleons words._

"_I do not think, I KNOW," Espio clarified in a final tone. "Which is why I'm requesting you stop this self-pity nonsense… it doesn't suit you," and now Espio allowed a small, ghostly smirk to appear. Knuckles returned that smirk._

"_It's called 'introspection' wise guy," he quipped as he stood up, while Espio simply shrugged._

"_Whatever helps you sleep at night, dread-head," he shot back, prompting a chuckle from Knuckles._

"_Thanks for that, by the way."_

"_What are friends for?"_

After that, Knuckles found his doubts about his ancient duty lessoning considerably thanks to the Chameleons words. Thanks to all of their words, honestly; Espio, Mighty, Charmy, Vector… their company made things a bit more worthwhile, and their shared experiences made Knuckles world all the greater for it. Even in the face of the numerous clashes of personality and taste, they still made things work for him and for everyone else on the Island. They brought a kind of harmony to him, a harmony that could only be born through chaos… and he'd never trade that away, not for anything.

There was a sudden puff of smoke, and a tiny insect appeared upon his shoulder. "And how are we doing on the meditation then, lad?" an accented voice chuckled as the figure leaned against the side of his head. Knuckles was not at all surprised by the ant's arrival, and simply let out a small smile.

"Making progress," Knuckles mused. "I take it my time for meditation is up then?"

"A right sharp one, ain't ya?" Archimedes drawled, teleporting himself to the spot in front of Knuckles in a puff of smoke. "Aye, that's enough of that for today; next up we'll be covering a bit of combat training. I've already gotten yer mates warming up and waiting for you on the surface, now hop to it!" despite his words, the fire ant smiled all the same as he adjusted his hat. Archimedes, his mentor now of several months, was another whose presence Knuckles appreciated, both for his company and for what he could teach him. The ant, far older then he appeared, knew things about the Master Emerald that Knuckles himself could only dream about and had taken it upon himself to share those secrets with him, as well as more details concerning his people's history then Locke had ever managed to instill. For that alone, Archimedes had his eternal gratitude, something that Knuckles did not give lightly.

Knuckles stretched out as he got to his feet, chuckling a bit as he looked down to his current mentor. "You left them alone, with instructions to just practice? Have you any clue of what you've unleashed?" he asked in mock terror. A puff of smoke later, Archimedes was atop his head.

"Very funny, Emerald boy," Archimedes drawled. "If you're so convinced about their likelihood of killing each other without supervision, then maybe you'd best skidaddle on up there as fast as you can, hmm?"

"Simmer down there hot stuff, I'm getting there," Knuckles shrugged before heading out towards the Hidden Palace's exit into the rest of the island.

"Hot stuff, he calls me. Whatever happened to respecting your elders?" Archimedes demanded in mock indignation.

"I'm just out of practice, I guess," Knuckles replied idly.

As he made his way from the Hidden Palace back to the surface of the island with as much speed as he could, Knuckles considered what he had thought over during his meditation, the memories of what he'd uniquely found in each of his friends. He found it ultimately did much to reinforce his ideas of chaos, and how in its own warped little way, chaos could make things work out so well. Thus far for all the madness he had experienced in his life as of late that could be tied back to his friends… at the end of the day, he regretted none of it, and at the end of the day he was proud to call himself a member of The Chaotix. And while he himself may have had doubts about his life and duty and where he was going… at the very least, he had his friends. If he were left with nothing else, he still had them, and that was enough for him in the long run.


End file.
